Seahawks picked fifth in 2017-18 CAA Men’s Hoops poll
WILMINGTON, North Carolina (UNCWSports.com) – Two-time defending champion UNCW has been picked to finish fifth in the Colonial Athletic Association in preseason balloting for the upcoming 2017-18 season by the league’s head coaches and media relations directors.
Individually, junior forward Devontae Cacok (Alpharetta HS/Riverdale, Ga.) was a First-Team All-CAA preseason selection and senior playmaker Jordon Talley (Henrico HS/Richmond, Va.) collected Honorable Mention honors.
The Seahawks, 29-6 overall and 15-3 in the CAA one year ago, garnered 197 points, trailing only Charleston (392), Towson (306), Elon (297) and Hofstra (236). The bottom five teams in the poll were Northeastern (159), Delaware (156), William & Mary (120), Drexel (102) and James Madison (65).
It marks the third time the Seahawks have been picked to finish fifth since the CAA polls originated in 2001-02. UNCW was also tabbed fifth in 2005-06 and 2006-07.
The muscle-bound Cacok developed into one of the CAA’s top insider performers one year ago and is poised to repeat as a dominant force inside the paint. The Riverdale, Ga., product averaged 12.3 points and 9.8 rebounds and set an NCAA record by converting 80 percent of his field goals. The dunking machine had 82 flushes in 2016-17 and needs just two more to become UNCW’s all-time slam leader.
Talley, meanwhile, will provide a veteran presence as the Seahawks head into a transition year under new Head Coach C.B. McGrath. Talley has appeared in 93 games over the last three seasons and averaged 8.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists.
Overall, UNCW owns the best winning percentage in the 10-team league over the last three seasons, amassing a 72-28 record for a 72.0 percent clip. The Seahawks finished with an RPI of 33 in 2016-17 – the best in the CAA – and fell in a tight contest to Virginia last March in the NCAA Tournament.
2017-18 CAA MEN’S BASKETBALL PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
- Charleston (38 first‐place votes) – 362
- Towson (2 first‐place votes) – 306
- Elon – 297
- Hofstra – 236
- UNCW – 197
- Northeastern – 159
- Delaware – 156
- William & Mary – 120
- Drexel – 102
- James Madison – 65
2017-18 CAA MEN’S BASKETBALL PRESEASON ALL‐CONFERENCE TEAMS
| First Team | Cl. | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Hometown/High School |
| Jarrell Brantley, Charleston | Jr. | F | 6‐7 | 250 | Columbia, S.C./Notre Dame Prep |
| Devontae Cacok, UNCW | Jr. | F | 6‐7 | 240 | Riverdale, Ga./Alpharetta |
| Joe Chealey, Charleston | Sr. | G | 6‐4 | 190 | Orlando, Fla./Apopka |
| Tyler Seibring, Elon | Jr. | F | 6‐8 | 225 | Normal, Ill.Normal Community |
| Justin Wright-Foreman, Hofstra | Jr. | G | 6‐1 | 185 | Queens, N.Y./High School of Construction |
| Second Team | Cl. | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Hometown/High School |
| Ryan Daly, Delaware | So. | G | 6‐4 | 185 | Ardmore, Pa./Archbishop Carroll |
| Byron Dawkins, Elon | Sr. | F | 6‐8 | 240 | Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenny |
| Rokas Gustys, Hofstra | Sr. | F/C | 6‐9 | 279 | Kaunas, Lithuania/Oak Hill Academy |
| Kurk Lee, Drexel | So. | G | 5-10 | 150 | Baltimore, Md./St. Frances Academy |
| Mike Morsell, Towson | Sr. | G | 6‐5 | 210 | Fort Washington, Md./St. John’s College |
| Grant Riller, Charleston | So. | G | 6‐3 | 195 | Ocoee, Fla./Ocoee |
CAA Preseason Player of the Year: Joe Chealey, Charleston
Honorable Mention: Devon Begley, Sr., G, Northeastern; David Cohn, Sr., G, William & Mary; Nathan Knight, So., F, William & Mary; Jeremy Miller, Jr., F, Northeastern; Deshaun Morman, Sr., G, Towson; Eli Pemberton, So., G, Hofstra; Jordon Talley, Sr., G, UNCW
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